Although I had a pretty busy Open House today, due to location (Old Town Alexandria) and price point (at $425,000 the least expensive fee simple property active in Old Town Alexandria right now), it seems to me that generally speaking Open Houses over the past few years have lost their luster.

For years, it seemed as if Open Houses were "the thing," where lots of prospective Buyers would come out to see whatever homes were open that day.

The plethora of online marketing, virtual tours and professional photos has changed all that. Buyers do not need to burn their $3 or $4 a gallon gas to see the inside of homes any longer. They can see it all from the comfort of their home or office.

And prospective Sellers don't need to trot around to Opens to surreptitiously "interview" prospective listing agents; heck, no, they now can look for online testimonials and reviews on sites such as Yelp.

I am also finding the majority of Sellers are no longer interested in a parade of strangers traipsing through their homes. It is one thing for someone to come in with an agent, a "someone" who has presumably been vetted and qualified by that agent. It is something else altogether to unlock the front door and say to the world, "hey, come on in!"

There are always those areas and those Sellers who still believe in the magic of the Open House. And, you know, if my Seller insists on my holding his or her house open, I am happy to accommodate - at least to a point. If they don't yield sufficient traffic, though, I reiterate my time is better spent on other forms of marketing.

I'm always interested in hearing how Open Houses are faring in other parts of the country.